Inhaling mask



A. ECHARD INHALING MASK July 23, 1968 Filed Dec. 27, 1965 INVENTOR ALO N 20 ECHARD ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,393,677 INHALING MASK Alonzo Echard, 27475 Redlands Blvd., Redlands, Calif. 92373 Filed Dec. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 516,398 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-198) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A nasal inhaling mask having an upper portion confoming to the wearers nose, a chamber in the lower part containing the medicament to be inhaled and nipples extending from the chamber to direct vaporized medicament toward the wearers nostrils.

This invention relates to improvements in an inhaling mask for the dispensing of medicament vapors for the treatment of head, throat and lungs.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the type in question in which a regulated amount of vapor can be dispensed into either or both nostrils from an absorbent material containing a medicament in a manner permitting the control of the fiow of the vapors from the medicament to the nostrils.

This and other objects of the invention will more clearly hereinafter appear by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of the instant specification and wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing the invention in operating position;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation partly in section;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section on line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical section on line 44 of FIG. 3.

The present invention primarily includes a medicament containing chamber and an associated nose piece, the parts being made of light plastic as a unitary structure. The medicament chamber is shown as including a base 1, front wall 2, rear wall 3, end walls 4 and a removable top 5 having flanges 6 for frictionally engaging the inner faces of the side and end walls of the medicament chamber. The base 1 of the medicament chamber is formed with a pair of spaced openings 7 partially defined by upwardly facing flanges 8 for engagement with the lower portions of the tubular nipples 9 provided with a multiplicity of perforations 10 located within the medicament chamber. The upper ends of the nipples are enlarged as at 11 for snugly fitting within the nostrils. The front and rear walls 2 and 3 of the medicament chamber are formed with air flow passages 12 and similar passages may be provided in the end walls 4, if necessary.

The enlarged nostril-engaging upper extremities 11 of the nipples 9 are adapted to overlie and engage the removable top 5 to lock the same in position, it being understood that the device may be used without the top closure 5 if so desired and if it is intended that the nipples project deeply into the nostrils.

The openings 7 in the base 1 of the medicament chamber are shown as provided with closure plugs 15, the reduced ends 16 of which extend into the upwardly extending flanges 8 to form a seal so that when the device is in use all of the air going to a patients nostrils will, of necessity, have to pass through the openings or ports 12 in the side and end walls of the medicament chamber and 3,393,677 Patented July 23, 1968 through the medicated cotton A contained in the chamber before passing through the openings or perforations 10 in the nipples from which the medicament carrying air is passed into the nostrils.

When it is desired to provide an air flow with a reduced proportion of medicament, which requirement may apply to one or both nostrils, the plugs 15 can be removed from the openings 7 so that the air flow will be directly through the openings 7 and through the nipples 9, and the passage of air through the nipples will induce an air flow through the perforations 10, thus providing a minimum amount of medicament to the air passing into the nostrils.

It will be noted from FIG. 3 that the rear wall 3, at its upper central portion is provided with a recess 17 to permit the device to seat appropriately and to receive the bridging portions of the nose between the two nostril openings. It will also be noted that the nose piece 20 extends upwardly from the medicament chamber and is arcuately shaped to conform generally to the contours of the nose and the side marginal edge portions of the nose piece are provided with looped projections 21 for connection with an elastic band 22 which is adapted to encircle a patients head to retain the assembly in a snug fitting position.

As previously indicated, the present invention may be used with or without the cover plate 5 which is shown as readily removable by removal of the nipples 9, whereby all of these parts may be removed for sterilization and/or replacement of the absorbent cotton or other material A and the saturation of the absorbent material by an appropriately designated vaporizing medicament.

What is claimed is:

1. An inhaling mask comprising a medicament chamber including side and end walls, air passages through said walls, a base portion forming a bottom closure having spaced openings defined by upwardly extending annular flanges, a pair of removable nipples having their lower portions sealingly engaging about said annular flanges, said nipples being provided with air passages Within said chamber and having enlarged upper portions extending above said chamber, a nose piece formed integral with said chamber and extending upwardly from the front side wall thereof, a removable plate closing the chamber, said closure plate having spaced openings through which said nipples extend, the enlarged portions of said nipples engaging the top of said closure plate to hold the same in position, and means for securing the mask in position.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the nose piece which is formed integral with the chamber and extends upwardly from the front side wall thereof is contoured to enclose a nose and said securing means includes looped projections extending from each side of said nose piece and an elastic securing means connected to said projections.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,693,800 11/1954 Caldwell "128-20 6 3,017,882 H1962 Lewis 128--198 FOREIGN PATENTS 370,058 4/ 1932 Great Britain.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

W. E. KAMM, Assistant Examiner. 

